02.07.07

Review of Gibbs Farm in St Paul for wedding ceremonies and receptions

Posted in Wedding Vendors in Minnesota at 2:29 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Some of my favorite weddings have been at Gibbs Farm in St Paul, which is an historical farmhouse and barn that is often set up and rented out for weddings, both indoor and outdoors.   One wedding was held on the porch, with the Guests in chairs under the shade trees, while two others were held on the lawn.  Receptions are usually held out back, either in the barn or right next to the barn (in a tent).  The site has all the advantages of a wedding in a park, with the benefits of a fully-equipped reception hall.  For instance, there is beautiful little parlor in the house, which elderly guests like to use when they don’t want to be outside.  They also have really nice bathrooms, which are incredibly helpful for guests with babies. Guest with infants (and other wedding guests, too), really appreciate a clean, comfortable, quiet restroom, especially such a nice one in a house.

Gibbs Farm is a beautiful site, and unlike other Minnesota farmhouses/reception halls which are available for weddings, it’s actually within the city limits, so Guests don’t have to travel very far. 

Picture of Gibbs Farm in St Paul, MN (from their website):

The house is even prettier in person, plus the barn out back is very special, in a rural, down-home sort of way.

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02.06.07

Notes on Como Conservatory’s new wedding reception hall

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 2:19 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

A new wedding reception hall has been opened at the Como Conservatory in St Paul, which is building the Conservatory has needed for a long time. The Conservatory is the most highly sought-after wedding site in the Minneapolis St Paul area (the most sought-after in the state, actually), but up till now wedding receptions there have been limited because of the small size of the Conservatory. Como Zoo’s new Visitor Information Center has many rooms, though, and several of them are perfect for wedding receptions in Minnesota. One of them is a huge reception hall where you can have dancing, which is on the second floor and has views of both the Como Zoo and of the Como Conservatory. The other wedding reception site is called the Covered Porch (pictured above), and on one side you can see the Conservatory and on the other side you can see the Zoo and it’s historic Carousel. Here is a 360 degree view of the Covered Porch at the Como Conservatory.

The site is also reviewed at my page on sites in Minnesota for small weddings, and there is another blog post about weddings at the Como Conservatory, too. The reception site is catered by Lancer Catering, and I’m awaiting an email from them for information about rental rates. Stay tuned!

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Notes on Rice Park for wedding ceremonies

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 2:10 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Notes on:
Rice Park for wedding ceremonies

I have peformed many wedding ceremonies at the Landmark Center in St Paul, but a new twist on that idea is to have the wedding ceremony outdoors in Rice Park, the gorgeous “town square” in the middle of St Paul, which is front of the Landmark Center (St Paul’s rental for Rice Park is $100 for 1.5 hours).  The wedding reception can then be held inside in the Landmark Center.

The other three sides of Rice Park are the high-class Saint Paul Hotel, the classic James J Hill library, and the beautiful Ordway Center.  Most famously, Rice Park in St Paul plays host for the ice sculpture carving for the St Paul Winter Carnival each year.  The park has beautiful paving, a fountain, and a wonderful statue of St Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

Having the outdoor wedding ceremony in Rice Park of St Paul and then the wedding reception indoors at the Landmark Center is a terrific idea because

• You get the advantages of an outdoor location (sunny weather, the feel of nature)

• The advantages of being in downtown St Paul (parking, restaurants, close to hotels and activities such as the Science Museum of Minnesota, which is a block away)

• Then the Landmark Center can serve as a rain location. 

Alternately, outdoor wedding site in the Minneapolis/St Paul area could also be combined with the reception site of the St Paul Hotel, the James J Hill Library, or the 317 Center in St Paul (pictured to the right), which is kitty-corner from the park.

My favorite shot of Rice Park is from the website of the city of St Paul, which is an arial view that shows the park, plus the gorgeous buildings surrounding it.  At the left is the Landmark Center (the one with all the turrets), the top right shows the Saint Paul Hotel (which is both the flat building with the curved tall building around it), and the James J Hill Library in the bottom right (with the red roof).  You can also see the Ordway Center in the bottom right, but all you can see is its roof (it’s much prettier from the street).

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Notes on outdoor wedding sites in Minnesota

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 2:10 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Both Minneapolis and St Paul have websites for their city that lists suggested outdoor wedding sites. St Paul lists 8 outoor wedding sites and Minneapolis lists 11. And yet in my experience, the vast majority of outdoor weddings in Minnesota are at just 3-4 sites. The others are listed and are available for rent, but are not chosen as often. Why are these few so much more popular than the rest?

Two reasons:

The #1 Criteria for outdoor wedding sites in Minesota seems to be Location. The most popular parks are close to popular Minnesota wedding reception sites.

Irvine Park - St Paul’s most popular outdoor wedding site

• One very conveniently situated outdoor wedding site in St Paul is Irvine Park, which very private, secluded, and beautiful - yet it is 3 blocks away from a large number of St Paul wedding reception locations (notably ,the St Paul Hotel, the Landmark Center, the 317 Center, James J Hill Library, and the Science Museum). Plus, Forepaugh’s Restaurant is across the street, which is appropriate for small wedding receptions. This proximity makes the site extremely popular for couples seeking an outdoor wedding site near downtown St Paul.

One section of Rice Park in St Paul. The building in the background is the Saint Paul Hotel

• Rice Park is even closer to most of those sites mentioned above, and the four sides of the park are bordered by the St Paul Hotel, the James J Hill Library, the 317 Center, and the Landmark Center (plus, it’s a block away from the Minnesota Science Museum. Rice Park is also beautiful, although not secluded.

The famous Spoon and Cherry (and Rabbit on the Bell) from the Walker Sculpture Garden

• The most convenient outdoor wedding site in Minneapolis is the Walker Sculpture Garden, which is right next to downtown.

The other criteria for outdoor wedding sites in Minnesota seems to be Beauty (which can trump Location.) If a site is really gorgeous, couples are willing to travel a farther distance to their wedding reception site, be it in Minneapolis or St Paul.

Outdoor wedding sites in Minneapolis that are just gorgeous:

One of the quieter areas of the Lyndale Rose Garden

• The most popular outdoor wedding sites in Minneapolis are the Lake Harriet Rose Garden (and the Peace Garden, which is right next to it). The Minneapolis Park System calls the two gardens the “Lyndale Park Rose Garden” and the “Lyndale Park Peace (Rock) Garden”. The Peace Garden can only hold a few guests (up to about 20), but the Rose Garden can accomodate up to 80 or so. These two sites are absolutely gorgeous. Both sites are fairly convenient just because they are in the city, but they’re not as close to reception sites as the other parks mentioned above. The sites also seem to be popular because they are next to Lake Harriet, the most heavily-used park system in the Twin Cities area. Many couples have spent so many days and evenings at the lake that they have a special fondness for the lake and it’s rose garden.

Painting of Minnehaha Falls from U of M website

• Another gorgeous outdoor wedding site in Minneapolis that is utilized frequently is Minnehaha Falls. Again, it’s not particularly close to any wedding reception site in Minneapolis and St Paul, but its natural beauty trumps convenience (although Minnehaha Falls Park is in Minneapolis, so it’s just a few miles from any Minneapolis wedding reception site…it’s just not within walking distance). There’s just no other outdoor wedding site in Minneapolis or St Paul quite like it, so many people immediately think of it when they want a wedding site that is picturesque.

The Como Conservatory is another outdoor wedding location in Minnesota, but it’s so popular that it deserves its own article.

The other outdoor wedding sites in Minnesota that are listed in the Minneapolis and St Paul Parks’ websites are Kellogg Park, Mears Park, Phalen Park, Rasberry Island (under construction), Harriet Island, and Upper Landing Park in St Paul, and Theodore Wirth Park, Thomas Lowry Park, Longfellow Gardens, Boom Island, and the Father Hennepin Bandstand in Minneapolis. Those sites wind up not being utilized as much, probably because they are either not close to a wedding reception site, or aren’t famous for their beauty. They may still be worth checking out, and they would definitely have the advantage of being easier to reserve.

To rent a park in Minneapolis, contact the Minneapolis Park Board, 612-230-6400- $200 rental fee

To rent a park in St Paul, contact the St Paul Parks Department, 651-632-5111 - $150 rental fee

If you are looking to rent a park on a Saturday afternoon in the summer, you often have to book a year ahead of time.

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Review of Minnehaha Park for outdoor wedding ceremonies in Minneapolis

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 2:09 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Welcome to my blog! My name is Rev. Tomkin Coleman, and I have officiated many weddings at Minnehaha Park. The following are some notes which you may find helpful with your planning. I’m not affiliated with Minnehaha Park, nor the Minneapolis Park Board (612-230-6400) - the following blog post is just my comments. More of my wedding site reviews of local parks, as well as indoor wedding reception sites, can be found here.

Notes on the James J Hill Library for wedding ceremonies

Posted in Wedding Vendors in Minnesota, Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 2:06 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

I was just at the James J Hill library for a photo shoot and the photographer remarked that she didn’t know that it was available for weddings.  Sometimes a person has to be kind of “in-the-know” to know about more unusual wedding reception and ceremony sites in the Minneapolis and St Paul area, but I was surprised she didn’t know about the James J Hill Reference Library, which is one of the best.

There are two sides to the library - the rebular public lending library, which is on the west side, and the Business Library on the east side of the building. The Business Library section is mainly a huge, grand hall with marble columns inside and 5 stories of books on the walls.  The tables that are usually in the library are cleared out so that the entire hall is available for the wedding, as shown in the photo to the right. 

Just a thought - The James J Hill Library overlooks Rice Park, is across the street from the Landmark Center, and next door to both the Saint Paul Hotel and the 319 Center.  All of those sites are also available for wedding ceremonies and receptions, so taken all together, that small area sees more upscale weddings than any other spot in the Twin Cities area.

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Notes on Gale Mansion for wedding ceremonies

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 2:05 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

I love performing wedding ceremonies at the Gale Mansion, which is right across the street from the park in front of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Their address is 2115 Stevens Avenue South.

Anyway, I was meeting with a couple this week who are getting married at the Gale Mansion and they posed some questions that I had never been asked before:

• Does anyone ever get married in the park across the street, then have the reception at the Gale Mansion?

  • The name of the park is Washburn Fair Oaks Park, and while it is beautiful, the lawn that the Gale Mansion has is so perfect for outdoor weddings in Minneapolis that I’ve only heard of couples using the mansion’s lawn for weddings. It’s perfect because it’s got such a nice porch landing, and a beautiful wrought-iron gate around the lawn, with a gate opening that’s perfect for the Processional. The whole arrangement works really well, and then when the Bride and Groom exit, they can head towards the south entrance and set up for a Recieving Line, either in front of the west entrance to the mansion, or right inside.

  • Do people usually have inside or outside weddings at the Gale Mansion in Minneapolis?

    • I’ve found it to be about half and half. Either choice works really well (much like the St Paul College Club in St Paul), and if you have it outside, you have a perfect rain location

  • If we can’t have the rehearsal at the Gale Mansion, can we hold it elsewhere?

    • This is actually a pretty common question. Yes, you can have the rehearsal at your home, or your parent’s home, or the ballroom of a hotel, or anywhere else. It actually works pretty well, as the main points we’re working on is what the cues are, the order of the elements, and where people are standing in relation to each other. Rehearsals tend to work best if they are two nights before the wedding (although the night before the wedding works pretty well, too…although it can be a lot of stimulus the night before your big day). You can, of course, have the rehearsal the same day as the wedding, but most couples find that this arrangement is packing a whole lot into one day.

Here is the entrance (west side) of the mansion, where the Receiving Line is often set up. Pretty, isn’t it?

Here are two pictures the south-side lawn of the Minneapolis Gale Mansion, where outdoor weddings are usually held. The weddings then overlook the park.

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Notes on the Como Conservatory for weddings

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 1:59 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

This post is a follow-up to the article on outdoor wedding sites in Minnesota.  Como Conservatory has just so many options, both indoors and outdoors, that it deserves its own article.  The Como Conservatory is the most popular wedding site in Minnesota. While all wedding sites should be reserved early, you’re especially lucky if you can reserve the Como Conservatory for your wedding in Minnesota.  They do not do any advertising, but so many people have warm memories of visits there from when they were children, or from when they dated, that many brides and grooms immediately think of the Como Conservatory once they’re engaged and are looking for an outdoor wedding site. The pictures below are from the Como Conservatory website, but I have modified the maps to make them more useful for weddings.

The Como Conservatory is unique in that it has both indoor and outdoor options, and even the indoor options seem like they are outdoors. 

Sunken Garden at the Como Conservatory

This picture shows the Sunken Garden at the Como Conservatory, taken from close to the entrance to the garden.  In the upper right-hand corner you can see the raised dias where wedding ceremonies are held.

The Como Conservatory is incredibly versatile - the most popular spot is the Sunken Garden since it is indoors yet has a very wide-open space so it can accomodate weddings of up to 80 guests. 

Below is a map of the Como Conservatory building, which shows the location of the Sunken Garden and the North Garden (both used for weddings):

The North Garden

This above picture shows the North Garden of the Como Conservatory (used for smaller weddings), and is the view from where the Bride and Groom would be standing.

Below is a close-up map of the North Garden, showing how the garden is generally set up for weddings.

The North Garden of the Como Conservatory, like the Sunken Garden mentioned above, is also indoors, but it is on the other end of the building, and is not as open as the Sunken Garden.  Because the trees block the view of the wedding from much of the area, the North Garden can only accomodate smaller weddings, perhaps up to 20 guests (the Como Conservatory site lists the capacity as 35, but that would be pushing the limits).  With this smaller number of guests, everyone can see the wedding party.  The North Garden is also beautiful, it’s just smaller.  

 

The Japanese Garden at the Como Conservatory

This picture of the outdoor Japanese Garden at the Como Conservatory shows the view from where the Bride and Groom usually stand (although you can pick any spot you’d like).

Outdoor options at the Como Conservatory include the Japanese Garden shown above, which is suitable for smaller weddings (usually 10-20, but can hold up to 40), and the space outside the front of the Conservatory, called the Exedra (below). 

The Exedra at the Como Conservatory

The Exedra at the Como Conservatory in St Paul - weddings are up by the white portico at the top of the cliff, at the top left of this picture.

The Exedra has trellises, a cliff which cascades down to a pool, and is so beautiful that it is often used for pictures even when wedding ceremonies aren’t being held there. 

Below is a map of the entire Como Conservatory area, which shows the building (with the Sunken Garden and the North Garden), as well as the Japanese Garden and the Exedra.  Also shown is the new wedding reception center at the Como Conservatory (also called the Visitor Center).  Wedding ceremonies can also be held in the new reception center, which is detailed in another article. 

Note that the official name of the Como Conservatory is the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, so if you’re searching for more information on the web, use that name.

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